I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

The other members of the committee had also noticed what was happening in front of the meeting room, but they all tacitly remained silent, did not stop what they were doing, and watched the show unfold out of the corner of their eyes.

"Who said I'm having any problems?"

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down from her trembling, but a hint of soft earlobe still peeked out from between her hair, revealing a delicate cherry blossom color: "I'm working, and all the idlers... tsk, you go out first, I'll give you a good talking to later."

Yukino Yukinoshita pointed to the door, issuing a perfunctory order to leave.

Unexpectedly, Tenkuji Yu became more and more engrossed in the role, gently wrapping his hands around her fingers and gazing at her with deep affection.

"Yukino, promise me you won't push yourself. Okay?"

"..."

A magnetic voice entered my ears, and warmth seeped into my skin from my cool fingertips.

Yukino Yukinoshita suddenly felt her body lose strength, her whole body felt numb and limp, as if an electric current was rushing from top to bottom, causing her heart to beat too fast and sucking all the air out of her chest.

But her pride wouldn't allow her to face this reaction—otherwise, wouldn't it seem like she really liked him?

I only agreed to date him because I wanted to stand up for my friend and admired him as a person... We've only known each other for a few months, how could I fall in love with someone so easily?

Yukino Yukinoshita cannot find a reason why she likes Yuuto Tenkuji.

Without hesitation, she withdrew her hand, her face expressionless and her eyes icy, coldly commanding, "I don't need your help here. Now, get out!"

Is this considered being enraged out of embarrassment?

But when he heard the notification in his mind, "Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: Yoga (Expert Level)," he didn't seem so angry anymore.

In any case, continuing to cause trouble will only make Yukino Yukinoshita even angrier and worsen the whole situation, which is not something Yuuto Tenkuji deliberately came in to do.

Having satisfied my perverse whims, it's time to get down to business.

"Okay, okay, no more joking around."

With her expression returning to calm, Tenkuji Yu clapped her hands, as if to brush off any dirt that had gotten on her fingers when she had just held them.

Yukino Yukinoshita twitched her brow. Okuda, who was "focused on her work," suddenly felt the temperature drop, as if an ice age had arrived prematurely in the conference room. The students by the window even subconsciously checked whether the window was closed properly, allowing the cold winter wind to seep in.

"So you were just kidding when you yelled 'Get out!' earlier..." she muttered to herself, her head tucked behind the screen.

Yuu Tenkuji stared at Yukino Yukinoshita, his tone serious: "Yukinoshita, perhaps you feel that the committee's affairs have nothing to do with me, and you would rather have other members share the workload than let me do my part for my friend...girlfriend."

“It’s not that I’m unwilling.” During his brief pause, Yukino Yukinoshita immediately replied, quickly resuming her work-like demeanor. “I told you, I’d ask for your help when I can’t hold on any longer. Have you forgotten?”

"I haven't forgotten. Isn't it now?"

"I also told you, don't underestimate me."

"Worrying about you means I'm underestimating you? Then if I like you, will it be interpreted as me pitying you?"

Her concentration vanished instantly; she pursed her lips, inexplicably unable to meet his gaze.

"...You, you shouldn't use this as an example."

Tenkuji Yu took a step forward, staring intently into her eyes, and said aggressively, "Am I wrong? I have nothing to do with the Cultural Festival Executive Committee, but do you think I have nothing to do with you? You can help me with so much, can't I help you with some of the Cultural Festival's work and make things easier for you?"

"I just want to rely on myself..."

"You're only allowed to be a self-sacrificing saint, while I'm not allowed to do anything for my hardworking girlfriend?"

"Don't exaggerate..."

"Is that an exaggeration? Then helping you with some small favors shouldn't be a big deal, right? Or do I have to kneel down and beg you for help?"

"So, that's not what I meant..."

"So what do you mean?"

They repeatedly interrupted her, bombarded her with rapid-fire questions to disrupt her thinking, and even resorted to moral blackmail.

Tenkuji Yu stood beside the chair, coldly looking down at her weak figure with her head bowed and fists clenched at the table. Like a rogue who had won a verbal battle, he curled his lips into a sneer and delivered the final blow without any mercy.

"I'll say it again, Yukino Yukinoshita—"

"I'm not helping you because you're useless, but because I don't want to see you troubled by things beyond your capabilities or bothered by people other than me to the point of not being able to rest properly. That's why I've taken the liberty of intervening in your work."

"Now, what you need to do is not to reject me because of your pride, but to rationally accept my help until you are sure that the cultural season and you are on the right track and everything is going smoothly, and then think about how to properly thank me!"

He took a deep breath and exhaled forcefully after speaking heavily.

Silence fell, and the air became eerily quiet for a moment.

When Yukino Yukinoshita quietly raised her eyes, Yuu's gaze had become the same as usual, with a hint of sighing helplessness. His tone was no longer as stern as before, and even seemed a little pitiful.

"Hey... I've given you so many ways to save face, you're not going to embarrass me in front of all these people, are you?"

Yukino Yukinoshita subconsciously looked towards the back of the conference room.

She stared at them motionless, as if frozen in time, still reeling from the dramatic exchange between the two. Only after receiving her gaze did the executive committee members hurriedly resume their work, like an animation that had been played.

Everyone felt guilty and dared not meet her gaze, but she was the same; she dared not face their strange and ambiguous stares.

Yukino Yukinoshita casually looked away, biting her lower lip, her eyes fixed on the table, her fingertips nervously scratching at the surface, as if pondering what to say to reject him.

Yuu Tenkuji really couldn't handle this overly stubborn girl, so he could only suppress a strange feeling of shame, lower his head slightly, and sigh softly in her ear:

"Making good use of all the resources around you is what a mature and strong person should do... Just use me as a tool."

These words completely relaxed her tense shoulders, and her always straight and unyielding back seemed to bend into a soft arc.

“If you just wanted to help me, you didn’t have to go to this lengths.”

"Who asked you to go through all this trouble?" Yuu Tenkuji couldn't help but complain. "I just wanted to help a friend, why did I have to go to such lengths?"

“If you had come a little later, maybe I would have accepted your proposal more readily. I’m just that troublesome.” She laughed self-deprecatingly, slowly raising her eyes to look directly at him.

"Besides, what kind of tool in the world is so disobedient that it even dares to discipline its master?"

Yuu Tenkuji said irritably, "Would I say something like that if it weren't for you? You still have the nerve to say it."

"I just want to say that I can't use you as a tool."

Yukino Yukinoshita sighed, her former cold and aloof pride melting away like ice and snow, leaving only a sincere and warm tenderness in her eyes.

She gripped the hem of his shirt with her fingers, smiled helplessly, and whispered:

"I'm in a bit of trouble. Could you please help me, Tenkuji-kun?"

Slightly startled, Yuu Tenkuji then smiled.

"Just to my liking."

clap clap clap-

No sooner had he agreed than enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room, not very loud, but full of blessings and joy.

"Great!"

"Great!"

Congratulations to you both!

"Waaaaah, it's so sour!"

"Is this what fairy-tale love is like...?"

"Although I was heartbroken, I fell in love again... and with two people at once."

The cacophony of exclamations and the continuous applause instantly transformed the previously somber atmosphere into a lively and joyful one.

The next moment, Yukino Yukinoshita slammed her hands on the table and stood up with a fierce look on her face.

Suddenly, she tilted her head and revealed a lovely smile.

"Is everything done? Great. Everyone who was clapping and talking, come over here. Since you're all so free, I happen to have some work to ask you to do."

"..."

"Let's start with Okuda, count off."

"..."

The meeting room was completely silent.

Then, as if nothing had happened, everyone lowered their heads and continued doing what they were doing.

Chapter 71 The calmer you are, the less likely you are to have an excessive sense of self.

If the two remain just friends, would she still ask him to get involved and help?

If I don't help her, will she be overwhelmed by all this work and end up taking sick leave to rest at home, and I'll have to go visit her with Yui?

Yuu Tenkuji doesn't know the answers to these questions, nor does he need to.

Because now, their relationship is not purely platonic, and before he collapsed from exhaustion, he successfully obtained permission from her to intervene in his work.

Aside from feeling a little uncomfortable being introduced as "Yukino Yukinoshita's boyfriend" in front of the committee members, everything was going in a positive direction.

After introducing themselves to the members, who were only about 40% present, and getting to know each other, Yuu Tenkuji took the list of tasks that no one could do from Yukino Yukinoshita, his brows furrowing slightly.

"I see, that's quite a lot..."

After clicking his tongue and pondering for a moment, Yuuki Tenkuji ignored Yukino Yukinoshita's look that seemed to want to say something and called out to the students who were about to leave the meeting room.

"Tojo-kun, could you please go to the printing shop and print this poster while you're at it?"

"Huh? But I need to deliver some materials to the teacher... and now there's a queue to use the printing shop."

"I know. Go find Ms. Hiratsuka, the Japanese literature teacher, and ask to borrow the teacher's photocopier. There's no line there. Then you don't need to wait there. Just ask her to bring it over after she's done printing, and you can leave immediately. It won't take up much time."

"That's fine... but isn't it a bit inappropriate to make the teacher run errands?"

"Don't be afraid, just say that Tenkuji forced you to do it, that way you won't be the one getting punched... Please, that's it!"

"Alright, since the chairperson's boyfriend has said so..."

"..."

Feeling a strange mix of emotions, Yuu Tenkuji didn't reply, instead looking down and flipping through the documents in his hand.

Next!

"Accounting audit, huh... Koizumi-san, you're in charge of finances, right?"

"Yes, that's right... but I still have data to process right now."